Drafting Teens No Cinch--look At Panthers' Warrener

RAY MURRAY On the NHL

June 23, 1996|RAY MURRAY

Rhett Warrener is an example of why drafting teen-agers is an inexact science at best.

A rookie defenseman with the Panthers, Warrener displayed a steady, error-free style that should keep him in the NHL for 15 seasons. A few extra pounds caused him to slip in the 1994 draft, but extra weight didn't bother the Panthers.

"Everything you like about him now he showed as a 16and 17-year-old," said Chuck Fletcher, assistant general manager. "Unfortunately, Rhett had one fun summer ... and came to camp at 225 pounds [actually 240)," Fletcher said. "He's 208 now. Needless to say, he was a little slower than he probably was at the end of the year before. His stock fell."

Projected as a top-10 pick, Warrener fell to No. 27, the first pick in the second round.

"There were questions about work ethic; there were questions about character," Fletcher said. "All it was was a 17-year-old kid had a little bit of fun one summer, made a little bit of a mistake and fell from a projected high pick."

Though Warrener ballooned, the Panthers saw an outstanding defenseman. Fletcher said they were lucky he dropped to the second round.

"We thought for sure he was going to be gone," Fletcher said. "We were even talking about moving up to try to get him."

Honesty's the last policy

During the negotiating game, Fletcher has a way of making sure draft picks and their agents don't get starry-eyed thinking about huge contracts and making an immediate impact.

"We told our scouts until we sign a player, he's just an average prospect," Fletcher said. "Once we sign him, we'll tell the truth. Until we signed [Jason) Podollan and [David) Nemirovsky, they were no good at all. Once we signed them, these kids are top young guys."

Goalie pick turns out OK

Many thought Colorado was crazy last year for picking goalie Marc Denis in the first round, but that move helped win a Stanley Cup and led to a family reunion. Colorado had two young, promising goalies in Jocelyn Thibault and Stephane Fiset when Denis was taken. Knowing they had a promising teen-ager, the Avalanche used Thibault, 20, in the trade to get Patrick Roy. Fiset was shipped to Los Angeles for left winger Eric Lacroix, the son of Avalanche General Manager Pierre Lacroix.

Fiset may find playing time hard to get in L.A. as well. Jamie Storr is considered a future star. Byron Dafoe and Kelly Hrudey have likely stopped their last pucks as Kings.

Fitzpatrick here or there

Panthers backup goalie Mark Fitzpatrick becomes a restricted free agent on July 1 and will test the market looking for a No. 1 job. He has the talent to start in the NHL, and no one can blame him for growing tired of being in John Vanbiesbrouck's shadow.

With Vanbiesbrouck playing better than ever in the playoffs and signed for two more seasons, Fitzpatrick figures to be a caddie should he return.

As one source close to the situation said Fitzpatrick faces perilous times. There's a goalie glut (ask Dafoe and Hrudey), and each team has a starter.

The Panthers will make Fitzpatrick a qualifying offer to keep his rights and would like to re-sign him. But if he should move on, the club would have little trouble finding a solid backup. Boston is reportedly buying out the contracts of Craig Billington and Scott Bailey.

Flyers hungry for grit

Bob Clarke, Philadelphia's president-general manager, is after more grit. That's the only explanation for signing Scott Daniels as a free agent from Hartford.

Daniels had 254 penalty minutes, ninth in the league. He also had three goals and four assists. More important, the Flyers signed promising young defenseman Janne Niinimaa, a second-round pick in 1993. The Panthers showed how old, slow and ineffective several Flyers were along the blue line in the playoffs.